The "Skimmer" Scoop

Friday, August 17th @ 7:30 am

Principal Coffee Chat

Monday, August 17th-Wednesday, August 19th

CD Staggerd Start

Thursday, August 20th

First Day of CD

Tuesday, August 25th

Kindergarten Bingo (Warner & Bradley's Classes)

Thursday, August 27th

Kindergarten Bingo (Watters & Galloway's Classes)

Dear SIES Families,

This has been THE best start to a school year at SIES! Thank you for all of the behind-the-scenes support you provide by getting students here on time, preparing them with supplies, and most importantly, helping them come to school with a positive attitude. Your support for education at home truly shows, and I am honored to partner with you in supporting all SIES students.

Typically, I send several reminders about transportation procedures at the beginning of the year, but so far, everything has been running very smoothly. Please know that both our morning and afternoon lines will continue to improve over the next couple of weeks as our CD and Kindergarten families settle into the routine.

One challenge we are closely monitoring is the heat. At SIES, we update students and staff daily on weather conditions during our school news show. On days of extreme heat, we may move to indoor recess or shorten outdoor recess time. We also encourage students to take breaks in the shade and stay well hydrated. Recess is an important part of the day at SIES, and any adjustments are made only when heat becomes a safety concern. Thank you for reinforcing this with your child at home. Beach recess will begin in September once temperatures begin to cool.

Finally, regarding the heat, please make sure you don’t scan your child’s School Dismissal Manager code until you enter the car loop. The less time the children have to stand and wait in the heat, the better.

Thanks again for helping all of our Skimmers soar on!

Principal Susan King

Please join us for our upcoming SIES Open Houses! This is a wonderful opportunity for parents to visit their child’s classroom, meet their homeroom teacher, and learn more about what the school year will look like.

Parents will go directly to their student’s classroom, where homeroom teachers will share important information about classroom routines, expectations, communication, curriculum, and ways families can support their students throughout the year.

Please note: This is a parent-only event. We kindly ask that students and siblings remain at home so that teachers can focus on connecting with parents and sharing information for the year ahead.

We look forward to welcoming you to SIES and starting the school year together!

Please check your Spam and Junk folders for any emails from your child’s teachers or other school personnel. We have noticed that many emails from CCSD are being filtered into parents’ Spam or Junk folders.

To make sure you don’t miss any important school updates or communication, please check these folders regularly and mark school emails as “Not Spam” if needed.

Be on the lookout for a chorus form coming home in Thursday folders! If your child is interested in music and singing, joining chorus is a great way for them to explore that interest and build some ensemble skills. If your child would like to join the chorus, please return the bottom of that form by August 21st. Rehearsals will begin the week of August 24th from 7-7:30am (Tuesday for 4th and 5th, Thursday for 3rd grade).

Looking for SIES Swag? Click below to buy your SIES Gear and show some Skimmer Spirit!

The SIES Birthday Book Club is a primary source of funding for library books. For a MINIMUM DONATION of $25, your child will receive:

--a book for the library in his/her honor

--name and birthday printed on a label inside of the book

--a book from the Book Vending Machine to keep

--birthday bookmark and pencil

--special recognition on WAVE News on birthday (or closest school day)

To purchase birthday books, please use the QR code above to go to our online payment site and complete the order information. Please be sure to include your child's full name, teacher and birthday in the comments section.

If you have any questions, please email Ms. Santos at Deborah_Santos@charleston.k12.sc.us.

Liz Perez, Music:

I am thrilled to be at Sullivan's Island Elementary teaching music as I go into my 19th year of teaching! I can't wait to get singing, moving and playing instruments with our students.

Sally Caldwell, Technology:

I am a proud mom of three sons, and I love spending my free time hiking, swimming, and learning new things. I’m excited for the new school year and the opportunity to inspire students to be creative, curious, and confident as they explore technology, coding, and STEAM!

Kelly Browder, PE

I’m so excited to be part of the school community! I was born and raised on James Island, where I’ve also had the joy of raising my family. I can’t wait to help my students discover how fun movement can be and learn that staying active, taking care of ourselves, and making healthy choices can help us feel our best. My goal is to create a positive, energetic environment where every student feels encouraged to move, have fun, and build healthy habits that last a lifetime!

Laura Cassell, PE:

This will be my 8th year teaching here at Sullivan’s Island Elementary. I’m looking forward to working with Mrs. Browder this year by getting the kids excited to move their bodies and seeing how Recreation R.O.C.K.S develops. Don’t forget! Make sure to send your student to school with tennis shoes on their P.E. Day!

Elena Castillo, Spanish:

I am excited to be your students' Spanish teacher for the 17th year at SIES! I am from Colombia and am delighted to have your students in my class. I thoroughly enjoy sharing my culture and language with you. I eagerly anticipate working together and seeing our students' enjoyment and learning!

Meghan Galipeau, Science Lab:

I am so excited to be teaching science lab for the second year at SIES! I can't wait to explore all areas of science with our students, from seining to gardening and everything in between! I am also a mom of two elementary age students, and love working with all grades at SIES!

Ashley Lupfter, Art:

I join SIES from New York with 13 years of experience as an art and STEAM educator. I am passionate about fostering curiosity, inspiring creativity, and building community through art. Im excited to make some magic this year with our Skimmer artists!

Jane Rice, Science Lab:

I am a Charleston Native and a SIES Alumni! I love gardening, cooking and seining! I am looking forward to fun science experiments this year!

Our weekly Coastal Connections is back! Please be sure to read these weekly coastal articles by our very own Meghan Gallipeau!

“Welcome back Skimmers!”

This sentiment has been heard all over SIES in the last week! A special and unique school like SIES deserves an equally unique mascot. Like our wonderful students, skimmer birds are intelligent, social, rambunctious and skilled! Black skimmers are a native shorebird that are known for their highly specialized and skilled feeding method. Their shortened upper beak allows them to skim their favorite foods, fish and shrimp, off the surface of the water while in flight! They are great multi-taskers, just like our SIES teachers!

When skimmers are not flying and feeding, they rest in a very unusual position. They lie down with their bellies on the sand, with their necks extended. Doing so allows them to rest the large muscles in their necks and heads that are needed to carry around their large bills. It also helps them to cool their bodies efficiently as it increases the amount of surface area that is resting across the cool sand. Beach goers are often alarmed when they see a skimmer resting like this, as it is an unusual position for any bird. Parents might also be alarmed (or very happy!) by the amount of resting their own skimmer might experience as their bodies and minds adjust to being back in school! Never fear, everyone is just resting!

Skimmers are a very sensitive bird, and will even abandon their nests if they are disturbed by humans. They tend to nest late in the summer season and may still be caring for their young this time of year. Our beaches are common nesting grounds for many shore birds, so it is important to give them space and respect their habitat while we visit the beach. Black skimmers population numbers have significantly declined and they are classified as endangered species in many states. Not only is it neighborly to respect our skimmer friends, they are also protected by federal law. If you see a skimmer, or any other shore bird, please give them space! Thanks for looking out for all Skimmers, humans and birds!

Join Principal King for our first Principal Coffee Chat! We will be meeting in the SIES Library right after arrival. All are welcome, but an RSVP is required below.

Coastal Expeditions After School Exporers was so popular we added a day! Coastal Expediations is now is offering an After School Explorers options to SIES students on Tuesday & Wednesday afternoons. The Coastal Expediations van will pick registered students up in the afterschool careline and take them to Shem Creek to participate. Please see link below for more details.